Vital Statistics on Congress

Vital Statistics on Congress
Author: Norman J. Ornstein
Publisher: American Enterprise Institute
Total Pages: 262
Release: 2002
Genre: Political Science
ISBN: 9780844741680

Vital Statistics on Congress is the definitive source of essential information for all who watch Congress.

Dollars for Life

Dollars for Life
Author: Mary Ziegler
Publisher: Yale University Press
Total Pages: 339
Release: 2022-01-01
Genre: Law
ISBN: 0300260148

A new understanding of the slow drift to extremes in American politics that shows how the anti-abortion movement remade the Republican Party "A timely and expert guide to one of today's most hot-button political issues."--Publishers Weekly (starred review) "A sober, knowledgeable scholarly analysis of a timely issue."--Kirkus Reviews "[Ziegler's] argument [is] that, over the course of decades, the anti-abortion movement laid the groundwork for an insurgent candidate like Trump."--Jennifer Szalai, New York Times The modern Republican Party is the party of conservative Christianity and big business--two things so closely identified with the contemporary GOP that we hardly notice the strangeness of the pairing. Legal historian Mary Ziegler traces how the anti-abortion movement helped to forge and later upend this alliance. Beginning with the Supreme Court's landmark decision in Buckley v. Valeo, right-to-lifers fought to gain power in the GOP by changing how campaign spending--and the First Amendment--work. The anti-abortion movement helped to revolutionize the rules of money in U.S. politics and persuaded conservative voters to fixate on the federal courts. Ultimately, the campaign finance landscape that abortion foes created fueled the GOP's embrace of populism and the rise of Donald Trump. Ziegler offers a surprising new view of the slow drift to extremes in American politics--and explains how it had everything to do with the strange intersection of right-to-life politics and campaign spending.

A First Amendment Profile of the Supreme Court

A First Amendment Profile of the Supreme Court
Author: Craig Smith
Publisher: University of Delaware
Total Pages: 196
Release: 2011-06-16
Genre: Political Science
ISBN: 1611493625

A First Amendment Profile of the Supreme Court focuses on the nine justices of the United States Supreme Court and determines their frames for assessing First Amendment cases. In each of the chapters, a justice will be profiled in terms of his or her claims during the nomination hearings and the positions they have taken in significant Supreme Court decisions. The object of these chapters is to provide a rhetorical frame that each of these justices would find appealing regarding First Amendment case law.

The Myth of Rights

The Myth of Rights
Author: Ashutosh Bhagwat
Publisher: Oxford University Press
Total Pages: 311
Release: 2010-03-10
Genre: Law
ISBN: 0199703426

What is a constitutional right? If asked, most Americans would say that it is an entitlement to act as one pleases - i.e., that rights protect autonomy. That understanding, however, is wrong; it is, indeed, The Myth of Rights. The primary purpose and effect of constitutional rights in our society is structural. These rights restrain governmental power in order to maintain a balance between citizens and the State, and an appropriately limited role for the State in our society. Of course, restricting governmental power does have the effect of advancing individual autonomy, but that is not the primary purpose of rights, and furthermore, constitutional rights protect individual autonomy to a far lesser degree that is generally believed. Professor Bhagwat brings clarity to many difficult controversies with a structural approach towards constitutional rights. Issues discussed include flag-burning, the ongoing debates over affirmative action and same-sex marriage, and the great battles over executive power fought during the second Bush Administration. The Myth of Rights addresses the constitutional issues posed in these and many other areas of law and public policy, and explains why a structural approach to constitutional rights illuminates these disputes in ways that an autonomy-based approach cannot. Readers will understand that while constitutional rights play a critical role in our legal and political system, it is a very different role from what is commonly assumed.

Big Money Unleashed

Big Money Unleashed
Author: Ann Southworth
Publisher: University of Chicago Press
Total Pages: 313
Release: 2023
Genre: Campaign funds
ISBN: 022683073X

The story of how the First Amendment became an obstacle to campaign finance regulation--a history that began much earlier than most imagine. Americans across party lines believe that public policy is rigged in favor of those who wield big money in elections. Yet, legislators are restricted in addressing these concerns by a series of Supreme Court decisions finding that campaign finance regulations violate the First Amendment. Big Money Unleashed argues that our current impasse is the result of a long-term process involving many players. Naturally, the justices played critical roles--but so did the attorneys who hatched the theories necessary to support the legal doctrine, the legal advocacy groups that advanced those arguments, the wealthy patrons who financed these efforts, and the networks through which they coordinated strategy and held the Court accountable. Drawing from interviews, public records, and archival materials, Big Money Unleashed chronicles how these players borrowed a litigation strategy pioneered by the NAACP to dismantle racial segregation and used it to advance a very different type of cause.

Constitutional Law for a Changing America

Constitutional Law for a Changing America
Author: Lee Epstein
Publisher: CQ Press
Total Pages: 1107
Release: 2018-07-26
Genre: Political Science
ISBN: 1506380328

Capturing the authors’ excitement for constitutional law, this updated Tenth Edition of Constitutional Law for a Changing America shows students how judicial decisions are influenced by political factors—from lawyers and interest groups, to the shifting sentiments of public opinion, to the ideological and behavioral inclinations of the justices. Authors Lee Epstein and Thomas G. Walker show how these dynamics shape the development of constitutional doctrine. Known for fastidious revising and streamlining, the authors incorporate the latest scholarship in the fields of both political science and legal studies and offer solid analysis of both classic and contemporary landmark cases, including key opinions handed down through the 2017 session. Filled with additional supporting material—photographs of the litigants, sidebars comparing the United States with other nations, and "Aftermath" boxes that tell the stories of the parties′ lives after the Supreme Court has acted—the text helps students develop a thorough understanding of the way the U.S. Constitution protects civil rights and liberties. Bundle with the Resource Center for FREE! Take your constitutional law class beyond the book with Epstein and Walker’s newly redesigned Resource Center, featuring more than 500 excerpted, supplemental cases referenced in the commentary of the Constitutional Law for a Changing America volumes. The Resource Center offers a place for students to study core content with online quizzes and explore court cases. Instructors can find teaching materials, including hypothetical cases paired with discussion questions and writing assignments, moot-court simulations, test banks, and more. Ensure FREE access—use bundle ISBN: 978-1-5443-5051-6.

Constitutional Law: Rights, Liberties and Justice 8th Edition

Constitutional Law: Rights, Liberties and Justice 8th Edition
Author: Lee Epstein
Publisher: SAGE
Total Pages: 865
Release: 2013
Genre: Education
ISBN: 1452226741

Judicial decisions never occur in a vacuum û they are influenced by a myriad of political factors. From lawyers and interest groups, to the shifting sentiments of public opinion, to the ideological and behavioral inclinations of the justices, Epstein and Walker show how all these dynamics play an integral part in the overall development of constitutional doctrine. Drawing deeply from the spheres of political science and legal studies, the exceperted case material is skillfully analyzed and presented for todayÆs students. Known for fastidious revising and streamlining, the authors account for the latest scholarship in the field and offer rock-solid analysis of recent landmark cases, including as all the important opinions handed down through 2011. Building on the successes of the 7th edition, the bookÆs clean layout and design clearly distinguishes between commentary and opinion excerpts. Not only does the design make the book an easier read for students, it effectively showcases photos, justice biographies, and the ôAftermathö and ôGlobal Perspectiveö sidebars. And based on positive user feedback, the authors have added even more Aftermath boxes in this new edition. New cases in the 8th edition: Hosanna-Tabor Evangelical Lutheran Church and School v. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (2012) Snyder v. Phelps (2011) Brown v. Entertainment Merchants Association (2011) United States v. Jones (2012) Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission

Law's Allure

Law's Allure
Author: Gordon Silverstein
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
Total Pages: 337
Release: 2009-02-09
Genre: Law
ISBN: 0521896479

Law's Allure explains how, when, and why America's reliance on legal rules and judicial decisions shapes, constrains, saves, and sometimes even kills politics.

Encyclopedia of Political Communication

Encyclopedia of Political Communication
Author: Lynda Lee Kaid
Publisher: SAGE
Total Pages: 1105
Release: 2008
Genre: Language Arts & Disciplines
ISBN: 1412917999

"Political communication began with the earliest studies of democratic discourse by Aristotle and Plato. However, modern political communication relies on an interdisciplinary base, which draws on concepts from communication, political science, journalism, sociology, psychology, history, rhetoric, and others. This two-volume resource considers political communication from a broad interdisciplinary perspective, encompassing the many different roles that communication plays in political processes in the United States and around the world. The Encyclopedia of Political Communication discusses the major theoretical approaches to the field, including direct and limited effects theories, agenda-setting theories, sociological theories, framing and priming theories, and other past and present conceptualizations. With nearly 600 entries, this resource pays considerable attention to important political messages such as political speeches, televised political advertising, political posters and print advertising, televised political debates, and Internet sites. The audiences for political communications are also central, necessitating concentration on citizen reactions to political messages, how the general public and voters in democratic systems respond to political messages, and the effects of all types of media and message types. Key Features: Encompasses several channels of political communication including interpersonal and public communication, radio, television, newspapers, and the World Wide Web Provides news media coverage and journalistic analysis of politics, political issues, political figures, and political institutions Concentrates on the field of political communication since the middle of the 20th century Emphasizes political communication from the point of view of the United States, but there is substantial and important research and scholarship on political communication in international contexts Considers the role of communication in governing, incorporating communication activities that influence the operation of executive, legislative, and judicial bodies, political parties, interest groups, political action committees, and other participants in political processes Key Themes: Biographies Books, Films, Journals, Television Democracy, Democratization Education and Nonprofit Organizations Elections Government Operations and Institutions Legal and Regulatory Media Events Media Outlets and Programs Role of Media in Political Systems News Media Coverage of Politics, Political Affairs Theoretical Approaches Types of Political Media Political Attitudes Political Campaigns Political Events Political Groups and Organizations Political Issues Political Journalism Theoretical Concepts Women in Politics The Encyclopedia of Political Communication is designed for libraries, undergraduates, and members of the public with an interest in political affairs. Media and political professionals, as well as government officials, lobbyists, and participants in independent political organizations, will find these volumes useful in developing a better understanding of how the media and communication function in political settings." http://catdir.loc.gov/catdir/enhancements/fy0828/2007026514-d.html.

U.S. Election Campaigns

U.S. Election Campaigns
Author: Thomas J. Baldino
Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing USA
Total Pages: 386
Release: 2011-09-13
Genre: Political Science
ISBN: 0313353050

This book provides an analytical guide to the modern political campaign, chronologically covering key federal, state, and local campaign laws, election commission rules, and the court decisions interpreting them. While the media and the public tend to focus on the personalities and foibles of the candidates and the horse-race elements of political campaigns, election outcomes often depend as much on the rules that limit candidates' activities and advertising as on the candidates' platforms and personal appeal. How much money may candidates raise? From whom can they accept money? When and how may they spend their campaign funds? What are they allowed to say in their ads? Informed voters who understand the constraints under which campaigns operate can see past the headlines and the hype to assess the quality of the candidates' campaign decisions and their management skills. The approximately 100 documents gathered in this reference guide put the essential information in readers' hands. After introducing 18th- and 19th-century efforts to regulate American election campaigns, this book examines the 20th-century evolution and refinement of election campaign laws in era-by-era chapters and concludes with a chapter on 21st-century developments. Each chapter opens with a short essay highlighting politically relevant historical events of the era to place the subject matter in context.